hello from 2026
Currently I've been:
Digitally designing and painting hoodies
Preparing 2027/28 show
Making figures out of clay
Making zines
Exploring colored pencils, drawing comics
Writing every day
Working on clothing commissions
Keeping my hands busy with creating is my favorite way to fight the chaos and hate in the world. The sky blue hoodie I’m currently making I started as a response to Donald Trump calling black Americans apes and posting an ai video of the former President and First Lady as apes. I screen printed ape made from masking tape as the first layer in royal blue. The next layer is neon red textile paint and I spelled out some lyrics from the song “Mamushi,” by Meghan Thee Stallion. I also added neon stars to the left arm. The third layer is thin textile paint in chartreuse, grass greens, neon pink, and dark blue. This paint bleeds and spreads differently, it’s almost like a marker on the fabric.
On the back with textile paint in rust I painted more lyrics “I'm so happy I'm so grateful,” as well as a pit viper snake head (Mamushi means pit viper and refers to these snakes that are native to Japan). Happiness is something we have to choose, chase, focus on, strive for, celebrate. Gratitude is a crucial daily practice that keeps me grounded and with perspective. In all or most of my works, there are symbols for money. This is because of the complexity of it- the way it controls men good and evil and everyone in between. It’s something I strive to always have to keep my housing, and basic needs met. This sweatshirt has Yen and En on the hood.
As an homage to my favorite movie of the last year and one of all time, Sinners, I have the quote, “It’s a fine day to be free, ain’t it?” Freedom is another theme I continue to explore as a complex and dynamic issue. Freedom starts in the mind. To me, freedom is spending my time how I want, not worrying about basic needs being met, and functioning outside and within capitalism.
I’m not sure what my next layer of paint will be, I am trying to pick some words from James Baldwin, one of my favorite revolutionaries.
